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O U R S T O R Y
OVERVIEW
The purpose of EBR Boston, is to advance scholarly research into, and the general study of, biblical origins. The Endowment was founded in 1920 by Mary Beecher Longyear of Brookline, Massachusetts. Mrs. Longyear was an avid Bible reader with a deep interest in better understanding the meaning of biblical texts in the time in which they were written. In her own words, Mrs. Longyear had a “passionate quest for the knowledge of truth.” This quest aligns with her dedication to establish a biblical research foundation to uncover original meanings of biblical words and phrases. She wanted her foundation to make its research findings available to the public and to benefit all denominations.
EBR THROUGH THE YEARS
EBR’s first initiative was the establishment of a public international biblical lending library in 1923. It housed thousands of publications on biblical research, as well as rare books, including a Wycliffe Bible – the first Bible translation in English, dating back to 1389. The library was frequented by prominent scholars and clergy of many denominations.
After the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered in the late 1940’s, Trustees of the Endowment supported archaeological research, with the expectation that findings would shed further light on biblical origins. Grants from EBR also supported specialized photography and publication of the Scroll images. Early in 1950, the EBR library was honored to host the first public Dead Sea Scrolls exhibition in America. EBR later acquired a Dead Sea Scroll jar, one of only three in the US.
In 1992 EBR launched a public lecture series given each year at the annual meeting of bible scholars (SBL), entitled “Frontiers of Biblical Research.” For over a decade, these free lectures were held in cities around the United States. Renowned speakers included Old Testament scholar Walter Brueggemann and New Testament specialist E.P. Sanders.
EBR TODAY
The Endowment for Biblical Research is supporting the development of a readily accessible, multi-faceted, online research tool called the Contexticon of New Testament Language. Based on research in powerful online databases, the Contexticon brings to light fresh possibilities for understanding Biblical terms and texts. Research is directed by Contexticon Learning and Research, Inc., in Cambridge, MA, collaborating with world-class biblical scholars. They examine how New Testament authors used words and phrases (in the original Greek) in comparison with usages found in other literature of the time. Over and over it becomes clear that biblical terms have a rich range of meaning, previously unclear. The project publishes research findings online at www.contexticon.com. Here Bible readers find enough perspective to reach informed interpretations on their own.
EBR has asked the Contexticon project to prepare a short “Walkaround” video, describing how the Contexticon works. To watch, please click video below.